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Robins faked me out….after being gone for several days….they were all back this morning hanging out! This time I counted about 16…and got a pic of a large group frolicking in the bath! I have no idea where they went off to…they must be floating around the area rather than sitting in my yard all day! Still wondering why they are still here–unless the weather is cool enough for them and they also think further north isn’t so great yet!
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Things have been very busy here, what with my trying to learn how to invest in the stock market with some new efforts at self-education and Slick’s bout with the vet-dentist and 10 days of tracking multiple meds. He finished everything and his follow-up on Friday gave him the all clear, but he will have to have his teeth cleaned every year from now on.
When I came up for air on Friday, I noticed something curious. A small flock of robins, about 12 in all that had been hanging around my yard, were suddenly gone.
Here in southern New Mexico, robins usually have come through the city lower down in the valley by the end of January, which is much more lush and a bit warmer. In past years we’ve seen a few up here (we’re maybe 1,000 higher in elevation) but most stay down lower and all pass through the area within a few days as they continue heading north. We have had a couple up here that have overwintered in the arroyo over the last few years, but this year was not one of them.
So, it was quite surprising to see the robins appear in late February (instead of January) and stay…and stay…and stay in the arroyo and my backyard!
A Robin Indulges...
At times about 6 robins at a time were crowded into the birdbath partying all at once!
This character was simply adorble…
Now it may not be such a big deal to most people up north, but down here this is a big deal for me. Coming from New Jersey, I was used to seeing robins all the time but it’s so exciting to see them hanging out in my yard, which they never have done before. But this is an El Niño year, so odd things happen!
So heads up, they’re heading your way up to all of you way up north!
Another odd sight I haven’t seen that often is this: the peach blossoms open (way to early as usual in February), and snow on the Organ Mountains at the same time:
Meanwhile, this is the first spring that I’m using the porch that we enclosed last summer. It’s doing exactly what I wanted it to do, housing all my plants in preparation for planting. I buy “doubles” of plants and split them to get 2 for the price of one! Several varieties of tomatoes, including a new one for me called “Solar Fire” which supposedly can take the heat, Ichiban eggplant, and basil which I still have to split, are all waiting patiently for things to get a bit warmer. Now, I just have see if I can get pimiento peppers, my favorite for growing in these parts.
Waiting...
The geraniums started blooming well over a month ago and continue to look wonderful as we wait for official spring on March 20!
It’s been a tough week for the garden in some ways. The spring winds have arrived so I’ve had to put wind barriers up around the raised beds. I’m using the sunshade for this, because it’s bright and I don’t want my plants to dry/fry!!! The temperatures are still in the 40’s overnight so with the winds coming through, although they weaken overnight, I don’t want too much of a temperature shock.
Still have some of the plants saved for the pots…a couple of peppers, an eggplant, and a couple of tomatoes…but I’m keeping them inside overnight. I bought some annuals…zinnias, petunias, a new geranium and an interesting spirally plant called “Rush.” But these are all sitting safely under protection for now…
The squirrel wars have started. They’ve been gnawing at the cactus in the far corner of the yard and nibbling at the eggplant and lettuce. I’ve got tons of peaches on the tree in the warm corner and I’ll have to “bag” the fruit soon or else the squirrels will be busy there too as soon as they start smelling something sweet.
The hummingbird is coming all the time now…until today. The feeder was full of swarming bees! This happens every year and I think these may be Africanized bees. So, the hummer and I will back off until they go.
A few days ago I spotted this butterfly on the ground. I picked it up and placed it in the Texas Ranger. The poor thing obviously had some problems with its wings. A short while later it had gone…
Wounded butterfly
This past Thursday I had an early morning blood test. The Healthplex branch of one of the hospitals is near our house and has stunning views of the Organ Mountains. And being up so early, I knew I could catch the sunrise….
As I write this, I’m just back from a rendezvous with Animal Control. This morning I was walking Slick and Toro in the arroyo and suddenly spotted a golden lab (?) who had obviously recently given birth. I thought I had seen this dog barking from behind a wall on the far side of the arroyo. We left in a hurry and I figured she could easily jump back over the wall and get home.
At 8:30 PM as I as out with Slick and Toro again for their last walk, I thought I saw the dog near the path into the arroyo. It seemed to go back down into the arroyo. I immediately call Animal Control and I took the officer down to the path and pointed out the house I thought the dog came from. We scanned around with a flashlight but didn’t see anything moving. The officer was going to stop by the couple of houses where she could have come from to find out more from the owners. I sure hope this all turns out OK, because if there are puppies involved, I’d hate to have the mother wandering lost for days or sitting in the shelter. It’s expensive to get dogs back these days and I wouldn’t want her to be left there and the puppies orphaned.
This sort of thing always makes me go and give mine a hug…I’m not bragging, but they have a really good life…because they run mine!!
Slick lounging, safe and sound
Let’s hope next week bring less wind so I can finish planting…and that the lost dog is found.
Well, it was such a disappointing week, but on Friday, Obama’s Nancy Reagan faux pas brightened my day. Keep it up, Obama! Now, onto the roundup:
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From regular reader Leslie in Chicago…this GEM. She writes:
This is the photo on the front page of the Tribune’s “RedEye” free daily newspaper.
Beneath the photo in HUGE type reads:
AMERICAN ROYALTY
PS: Saturday’s web edition is more simple: just has a pic labeled just “Royalty.”
Camelot already?? Well, about the Royal Couple’s subjects …What happens when Obama doesn’t deliver whatever it is they expect to be delivered?
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This benign title masks a VERY disturbing video which might answer the question just asked. I haven’t been to Philly in a long time…I’m glad I didn’t show up in the middle of this…see Minute 3:15
Man Arrested for Wearing McCain Shirt at Obama Victory Rally
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Over the past week, we’ve had some excellent analyses of the election. Texas Hill Country (note the new address) sent out a letter to mailing list members which think I speaks for many of us:
The American public rejected the hard right swing that was part and parcel with the Bush Administration and, blinded by rhetoric, swung far to the left… but not the traditional Democratic left. This is a new Democratic Party.
In the wake of this election cycle, people should remember that:
It was Democrats that voted against GLBT rights in 4 states
It was Democrats that voted against two very strong and capable women
It was Democrats that attacked two very strong women with vicious sexism
It was Democrats that found the attacks on freedom of speech acceptable (truth squads)
It was Democrats that applauded unfair and unethical election practices (primaries)
It was Democrats that abandoned campaign finance reform
It was Democrats that conducted a questionable war on the sanctity of the vote (acorn, ohio)
And also that
It was evangelicals that failed to come out for the Republican Party
It was the evangelicals that turned out in higher numbers for the Democrats
No matter what the rhetoric, no matter what the politicians say, the Democratic Party has abandoned two of its’ key constituencies… women and gays. I shudder to thing what will happen when little bites begin to be taken out of Roe v Wade. I no longer have any confidence that the Democratic Party will protect women’s right to choose.
It is time for the Republican party to abandon the Neo-Conservatives. It is time for the Republicans to recapture the center and to become the party of Lincoln, Martin Luther King and Barry Goldwater once again.
It is time to remake the face of the Republican Party as the party of small government, both in business and in our daily lives.
It is time for the Republican Party to become the party of equal rights and freedoms for all.
It is time for the Republican Party to become the party that it once was. The party that fought to give African Americans the right to vote. The party that fought to give women the right to vote. The party that helped the first woman get elected to Congress. The party that fought for the individual against the crushing weight of the society and the government.
It is time for the Republican Party to abandon the path set forth by John Sears and Karl Rove and get back to its’ roots.
I am calling on the Republican Party to abandon the “Religious Right” that abandoned you.
I am calling on the Republican Party to abandon its attack on a woman’s right to choose.
I am calling on the Republican Party to abandon the attacks on the division between church and state.
I am calling on the Republican Party to abandon the injection of religion into social policy
I am calling on the Republican Party to allow people of any race, creed, color or sexual preference to associate in any way they deem appropriate… including marriage.
I am calling on the Republican Party to defend my rights as a citizen to live my life without interference from the government as long as my actions are not harming others.
I am calling on the Republican Party to stop being a RINO and start being Republican once again.
Over at Not Your Sweetie, Edge wrote a piece with some hard numbers that summarizes what happened on Election Day succinctly, with a focus on who stayed home and the price we’re all going to pay for it. Edge points out that evangelicals ministers kept their flocks home on the promise of Obama’s support for money and “their ability to hire and fire based on faith. For more background on what Obama was up to during the campaign, see these pieces:
Ministers weren’t the only problem. I heard Rush Limbaugh way just days before the election that “”we don’t want any moderate Republicans…social moderates”…in the Republican Party.” According to him, it has to be a purely “Conservative” party. What effect did THAT have on his listeners?
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I can’t let go of the “racial” crap…
How come when Rice and Powell were elevated to very powerful positions I didn’t see endless blather about how they were “post-racial”?…I didn’t see the GOP making it a big selling point, either. The editor of the “Pulse” section of the local paper (entertainment section) is a young woman who wrote that “Pulse” never got political..BUT she was so happy to see what she didn’t think she’d ever see in her lifetime…a BLACK president…Well, I zipped off GG’s post and challenged her to think about why that image was more important than seeing a woman in the presidency and why she seemed so oblivious/willing to accept as the norm the misogyny of this campaign??
Young women, wake up!!
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And this should help them…FROM BETTY JEAN KLING, THIS IMPORTANT MESSAGE. She needs some people to give her radio show site some hits. SEE BELOW. I listened and she’s GREAT and she needs our support! Play the archived 11/3 show for a few minutes…the guest is Dr. Lynette Long at about the 15:00 Minute mark…Betty Jean is great and will keep your fighting spirit up! From her Friday email:
Please do me a very big favor- go to this link http://www.blogtalkradio.com/FreeMeNowand download 11/3 show – don’t have to listen but I need 50 downloads – I changed from 6PM to 8 PM and NO One and I mean not one person showed up and I could lose my show so please I need 50 downloads to save my show. Every download helps please help.
Join BettyJean at the new Prime Time Slot 8 pm est.
Tune in Monday Night 8 PM EST- FreeUsNow Mavericks
Just in case you think we do not need a new woman’s movement
Think Again!
We cannot let what happened during this year’s election cycle—rampant sexism and misogyny—continue or ever happen again. I fear women might stop running for the highest offices. Why wouldn’t they stop trying? It’s dangerous and devastating for our daughters to see. Join us as we go straight at all that is wrong with the way women were treated by our party, our media, our opponents, and other women.
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Obama was talking dogs at his press conference and I have my own UPDATE on the stray that I talked about in my Election Day post on my miracle rescue dog, Slick. (See below.) I had just put out food and water in the hope of attracting him/her. A couple of days went by without any indication that he had passed by…then, on Thursday morning, I noticed that all the food had been eaten, but a treat I also set out had been left behind. On my dog walk in the afternoon, the treat was gone! Friday, night, I moved the dishes and once again the food was gone as well as the little treats I had left! Saturday morning I moved the dishes again to a sunnier spot on the opposite side of the driveway because the water had frozen in the other location. So, let’s see if the food is gone Sunday! This is the pattern I saw with Slick…probably an early morning visit. So far, the wanderer hasn’t returned in the afternoon like Slick did, but we’ll see. If the the dog finds the food in the new place overnight/in the morning, then I’ll start moving it further up the driveway. Stay tuned!
And in the garden: It turned very cold at night a couple of nights ago, reaching the freezing point so I’ve started covering up the plants with the sunshade material. I set up the mini-greenhouse and I’ll be transferring the geraniums into that any day now. Tonight I had a sweet potato pizza crust topped with swiss chard picked from the garden and drizzled with olive oil. Scrumptious!
InsightAnalytical -- Watching Our World 